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Southeast Notes: Butler, Richardson, Coulibaly, Carter

October 27th, 2024 at 9:36am CST by Rory Maher

After struggling mightily in the Heat‘s home-opening loss to Orlando, star forward Jimmy Butler bounced back with a strong performance in Saturday’s victory over Charlotte, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Butler had one of his worst games in a Heat uniform vs. the Magic, only scoring three points to go along with four rebounds and five assists in 26 minutes. On Saturday, the 35-year-old’s production was closer to his typical norm, as he put up 26 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in 37 minutes.

“Honestly, just doing all of that and it resulting in a win,” Butler said when asked about his big night. “That’s the reason that we all play the game. I’m just happy to get one in the win column.”

The six-time All-Star could be a free agent next summer if he declines his $52.4MM player option for 2025/26. Chiang recently reported that Butler would likely decline a maximum-salary extension even if he were offered it, but there’s no indication at this point that he plans to leave Miami.

Here are a few more notes from around the Southeast:

Heat swingman Josh Richardson, who underwent shoulder surgery in March, is close to making his season debut, Chiang notes in the same story. Richardson was sidelined for training camp and preseason as he recovered from the surgery, and has been dealing with heel inflammation after he was medically cleared to resume practicing. Richardson was upgraded to questionable for Saturday’s contest and warmed up before being ruled out, Chiang adds. “He’s making progress,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said of Richardson on Saturday morning. “So I’m encouraged by it. I know he is, as well. Don’t have a specific date, but he’s practicing and he’s doing everything right now.” Richardson, 31, will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025.
The Wizards dropped to 0-2 after Saturday’s loss to Cleveland, but French wing Bilal Coulibaly continues to show encouraging signs of progress in his second season, per Varun Shankar of The Washington Post (subscriber link). After dishing out a career-high six assists in Thursday’s opener vs. Boston, the 2023 lottery pick scored a career-high 23 points vs. the Cavs, going 9-of-16 from the field, including 4-of-9 from long distance.
Seventh-year center Wendell Carter Jr. displayed in the team’s season-opening victory in Miami why the Magic gave him a three-year extension, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. The Magic were plus-32 in Carter’s 27 minutes during the 19-point win, with the 25-year-old big man recording eight points, 14 rebounds, two assists and two steals. Carter is averaging a career-best 11.7 RPG through three games for the 2-1 Magic.

Pacific Notes: Hield, Wiggins, Powell, LeBron

October 26th, 2024 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Buddy Hield has been one of the best acquisitions of the summer, providing instant offense for a Warriors team that hasn’t lost since the preseason started, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. After scoring 22 points in Golden State’s opener, Hield singed the Jazz for 24 points in the first half Friday night and now has 49 points in 35 minutes while shooting 12-of-16 from three-point range.

Slater notes that the only downside for the Warriors has been an awkward starting lineup that hasn’t quite meshed despite the team’s overall success. The unit features an excess of size with Jonathan Kuminga, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis lining up alongside Stephen Curry. Golden State has fallen behind 12-5 and 13-6 in its first two games before rallying to take control. Coach Steve Kerr admits there are spacing issues, but he plans to keep the group together because of its defensive potential.

“That unit is still learning how to play (together),” Green said. “We didn’t have Wiggins all training camp. … Now this lineup is getting a chance to get minutes together. What you’ll start to see if we will start to settle in offensively. We’re coming out in the first quarter and everyone is trying to get to it: Go. Go. Go. Because we want that lineup to do well so bad. Everyone is coming out pressing. But once we settle down, that lineup takes over.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Wiggins seems to have revived his career in the early part of the season, observes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. The much-maligned forward scored 20 points on 8-for-15 shooting in the Warriors‘ opener and followed that with 13 rebounds Friday night, which is a regular-season record for him. “He’s getting off to a great start,” Kevon Looney said. “… He came with a different focus. A different energy. He’s been locked in and it’s good to see all his hard work has been paying off.”
Norman Powell is helping the Clippers stay competitive while they wait for Kawhi Leonard to return from injury, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Powell shot 14-of-21 from the field and scored 37 points as L.A. picked up its first win Saturday at Denver. “I was just focusing on what the next play was, what the next read was and really just staying in the moment,” he said. “I don’t think about how much I’m scoring or what’s going on, missed shots, made shots, good games, bad games.”
Lakers coach J.J. Redick will be supportive if LeBron James is sincere about his goal of playing every game this season, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “Most players go into a season wanting to play 82 games,” Redick said. “So if that’s what he wants to do, great. I love it. I would love to have him for 82. We’ll manage the minutes accordingly.”

Central Notes: Giddey, Caruso, Trent, Middleton, Haliburton

October 26th, 2024 at 9:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bulls don’t have any buyer’s remorse about parting with Alex Caruso to acquire Josh Giddey from Oklahoma City, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago was criticized for not getting any draft compensation in the deal, but executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas explained that they valued Giddey highly enough to accept the trade without draft picks. Even though it’s early in Giddey’s Bulls tenure, his teammates seem to agree.

“I think the play-making is huge and a thing that is going to help us a lot,” Nikola Vucevic said. “He makes passes that not many people can see, and I think his size is something that people underestimate a little bit. For him it’s the same as it is for us, just getting used to playing next to each other. As a team we need to build that chemistry, but I think he’s a player that can help us a lot, especially with his vision. We want to play fast, and I think that’s his style as well.”

The Thunder were in Chicago tonight, creating a perfect opportunity to reflect on the deal. As one of the NBA’s best defensive guards, Caruso was a valuable part of the Bulls’ rotation for the past three seasons, so reporters asked coach Billy Donovan how he reacted when he learned about the trade.

“That’s hard, it’s hard, especially when you’ve been with him for three years and the relationship we built,” Donovan said. “The one thing for Alex in all this for me is I just hope that he’s really, really going to get compensated. He obviously got a great situation, but he’s also at the point where his age, some of the things he’s had to deal with health-wise too. He’s always played banged up and hurt. They came to me and thought this was best for a variety of reasons. I believe this is Alex’s last year of his contract, but they didn’t share with me the representation conversations.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Bucks were impressed by Gary Trent Jr.‘s defensive effort in his debut with the team, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Trent was used as the primary defender on Tyrese Maxey, who had to carry the offense for the short-handed Sixers. “It’s hard guarding one of the quickest players in the NBA, full court, always being in front, navigating screens, putting your body on the line, and that’s what he did tonight and he was incredible,” Giannis Antetokounmpo said. “(Maxey) took a lot of shots. He made a lot of shots. He missed a lot of shots, but I think (Trent) was there for every one of them and he did an incredible job. He’s probably tired.”
Three-time All-Star forward Khris Middleton will miss the Bucks‘ game Sunday in Brooklyn as he continues his recovery from two offseason ankle surgeries, Nehm tweets. Middleton is considered day-to-day.
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton vowed to work on his shot after being held scoreless Friday in New York, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Haliburton is shooting 1-of-16 from beyond the arc in the team’s first two games. “I’m going to get in the gym and I’m gonna shoot,” he said. “We’re all gonna shoot and we’re going to be ready to go on Sunday (against Philadelphia.) … I’m gonna get a lot of shots (Saturday). I’m gonna get a lot of shots on Sunday and I’m gonna be ready to go on Sunday.”

Knicks Notes: Towns, Bridges, Hart, Robinson

October 26th, 2024 at 8:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Playing his first home game at Madison Square Garden on Friday night, Karl-Anthony Towns looked to be well worth the price the Knicks paid to acquire him from Minnesota, writes Andrew Crane of The New York Post. Towns was the centerpiece of the offense as New York dismantled Indiana by 25 points. He finished with 21 points, 15 rebounds, two blocks, a steal and 10 free-throw attempts while appearing comfortable operating under coach Tom Thibodeau’s system once again.

“I just always want to impose a lot of energy into the game and amplify my teammates,” Towns said, “and I thought that was a good opportunity [with the dunk] to get some energy instilled to us — and the crowd obviously was bringing a lot of energy.”

The Knicks were successful with Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein in the middle last season, but they haven’t had a center who can score like Towns for a long time. Jalen Brunson is excited about the potential for the offense as team chemistry continues to improve.

“I’m learning a lot,” Brunson said of playing with Towns. “He has so much gravity on the floor when he’s out there. People have to respect that. Obviously, he’s one of the best shooters in the league.”

There’s more from New York:

Mikal Bridges seems to have calmed any fears about his jump shot, per Peter Botte of The New York Post. There were concerns about Bridges’ shooting mechanics heading into the season, but he went 8-of-12 from the field on Friday and scored 21 points. “No one is gonna shoot great for 82 games,” Thibodeau said. “Oftentimes, you’re in preseason and just trying to work through things and get in a rhythm, and you’re trying to figure out a new system and new teammates. And each day, that gets better and better. But if you think logically, this guy has shot almost 38% from three for his career. Me, I’d bet on that.”
The Knicks displayed resiliency after getting blown out by Boston on opening night, notes Chris Herring of ESPN. The defense was much more aggressive, forcing a rare scoreless night by Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton. “Whenever you get your butt kicked on national TV in the NBA, it means you have to step it up,” Josh Hart said.
A source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Post that Robinson is still expected to return from ankle surgery in December or January, but that timetable could change. Robinson hasn’t talked to reporters since undergoing the operation in May, but he updated his condition Thursday in a livestream video on social media. “You seen what happened when I rushed to come back? I was back out,” Robinson said. “At this point, I gotta make sure I’m good for life, too. C’mon, now. Let’s not be selfish here. … But we’re going to be good. We’re going to be all right. We’re going to be okay. Promise you, we’re going to be straight.”

Celtics Notes: Backup Big Men, Springer, Scheierman, Pritchard

October 26th, 2024 at 7:24pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics used some rare double big lineups in Thursday’s victory at Washington, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. With Sam Hauser unavailable due to low back pain, Robb states that Jordan Walsh was expected to play a larger role. Instead, coach Joe Mazzulla opted for size when he went to his bench by playing Luke Kornet alongside Xavier Tillman. Neemias Queta came in next, which meant three of Mazzulla’s first four substitutions were big men.

Their presence limited veteran center Al Horford to 20 minutes and allowed him to spend more time on the perimeter. Having extra size in the game also solidified Boston’s defense after a shaky first quarter.

“I just liked our bigs’ ability to just kind of protect the rim and make multiple efforts and be physical on the offensive end,” Mazzulla said in explaining the move. “The guys did a great job fighting for spacing.”

Hauser is out for a second straight game on Saturday and it’s unclear how long the back issue might keep him sidelined, according to Souichi Terada of MassLive. Hauser told reporters that he dealt with soreness in his back throughout the offseason and training camp.

There’s more from Boston:

Jaden Springer has reportedly emerged as a trade candidate, but the Celtics viewed him as a potential rotation player heading into training camp, Robb adds in another piece. The fourth-year guard had a quiet preseason and didn’t play in two of the team’s final three exhibition games.
Scoring his first NBA points on a layup late in Thursday’s game has been the high point of Baylor Scheierman‘s professional career so far, notes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. After receiving the game ball from his teammates in honor of the achievement, Scheierman talked about the adjustment of having limited playing time after being a star at Creighton. “It’s definitely different coming from college where you play a lot and coming to a team like this that has a lot of established guys,” he said. “But for me, I think it’s just a great opportunity to learn from guys who have made it in this league and obviously signed contracts for a lot of money and have learned at this level. I take it as a learning opportunity, being able to learn from them and grow so that when I get my shot down the line, I’m ready for it.”
Payton Pritchard, who has become famous for his long-range buzzer beaters, would like to see them count extra, Himmelsbach states in a separate story. “I honestly think maybe past half court they should look at adding it as a 4-point play,” Pritchard said. “I mean, it could be interesting. I’ve seen rules overseas that they have a 4-point line.”

Heat Notes: Ware, Defense, Love, Little

October 26th, 2024 at 6:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

The positive vibes that the Heat generated by winning the Summer League title in Las Vegas have carried over into the start of the regular season, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. That Vegas team included first-round pick Kel’el Ware and second-round pick Pelle Larsson, along with two-way players Josh Christopher and Keshad Johnson, and coach Erik Spoelstra said they’ve provided youthful energy since the start of training camp.

“What they have shown as a collective group as young guys, they’ve brought us some talent level that we’ve been able to restock our roster,” Spoelstra said. “They’ve given us an exuberance. But they’ve also found a way as a group to win, to impact winning, to find a way to gut out wins. I don’t know what it is, I just know it’s something. I think probably what’s different about this group is it’s been a pack, a pack of wolves. That’s what’s different.”

Ware was one of the stars in Las Vegas, earning a spot on the All-Summer League First Team after being drafted with the 15th pick. However, the 20-year-old center doesn’t have a clear path to playing time in Miami with Bam Adebayo, Kevin Love and Thomas Bryant ahead of him on the depth chart. He played the final 6:15 of a blowout in the season opener and will miss tonight’s game in Charlotte due to an illness.

“He’s put almost 10 pounds on since he’s been with us and he’s embraced how we do things,” Spoelstra said. “That was one of the encouraging things once we dove into his background — that he’s not afraid to work, particularly at [Indiana University].”

There’s more from Miami:

The Heat had two days off to recover from Wednesday’s 32-point loss to Orlando, Chiang adds in a separate story. Spoelstra concentrated on the need to become more aggressive defensively to create open-court opportunities. Chiang notes that Miami led the NBA during the preseason by forcing turnovers on 21.7% of possessions, but only managed five steals and nine deflections against the Magic. “You want them to feel you,” Spoelstra said. “It’s not necessarily going to be the metrics or steals or deflections every single time. It’s more about doing tough things, being physical, getting teams out of what they typically want to do at every point of attack that we’re there, and that wasn’t the case.”
Love will miss his second straight game tonight for personal reasons, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link).
Nassir Little, who was with the Heat in training camp on a non-guaranteed contract before being waived last Saturday, will join the team’s G League affiliate in Sioux Falls, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The 24-year-old forward spent last season with Phoenix after four years in Portland.

Cavaliers Notes: Bickerstaff, Allen, Mobley, G League Draft

October 26th, 2024 at 5:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

J.B. Bickerstaff wasn’t emotional about his return to Cleveland Friday night, writes Tom Withers of The Associated Press. Bickerstaff served as head coach of the Cavaliers for more than four years before being fired following last season’s second-round playoff loss to the Celtics. He wasn’t out of work long, as the Pistons tabbed him to fill their head coaching vacancy in early July.

“I didn’t recognize these (remodeled) halls back here trying to figure out where to go, but that’s it,” Bickerstaff responded when asked about being back at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. “I know there is a deal to be made about it. But honestly, all we’re trying to do is get together what we have, get better every day and spend your focus there.”

Bickerstaff took over the Cavs after John Beilein resigned midway through the 2019/20 season. He compiled a 170-159 record and oversaw a rebuilding project that resulted in playoff appearances his final two years. However, he was frequently a target of Cleveland fans who questioned his rotations, game strategies and other aspects of his coaching philosophy. Bickerstaff predicted a mixed response before the game, and that’s what he received during pregame introductions.

“We did a hell of a job here from where we started when our staff took over to where we finished,” he said. “In any kind of rebuild situation, if you could ask for that to happen, every GM in this league, every owner in this league, every player in this league would sign up for it. We got better every year. Every year we went further, so we did the job we were asked to do and I’m proud of that.”

There’s more from Cleveland:

Bickerstaff shot down speculation that he was criticizing Jarrett Allen for missing the series with Boston due a pierced rib he suffered in the first round, per Ethan Sands of Cleveland.com. After his dismissal, Bickerstaff appeared on a radio show and praised Luka Doncic for staying on the court despite injuries. Bickerstaff told reporters Friday night that his remarks shouldn’t have been interpreted as a shot at Allen. “Jarrett and I have a great relationship and always will, and none of the outside noise will impact that,” Bickerstaff said. “Those comments had absolutely nothing to do with Jarrett Allen. I love Jarrett Allen. We have a great relationship. … I would never say anything to slight him or question him, and I think that’s a lot of silly people that are just searching for something to be found who’ve got nothing better to do and looking for clickbait.”
Under new coach Kenny Atkinson, the Cavs are making a stronger effort to create scoring opportunities for Evan Mobley, observes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. It was evident in the season opener as Mobley took 14 shots and led the team with 25 points. “I’m just staying mentally in attack mode,” he said. “Always looking at the rim, always going to the basket, moving forward, looking to score and then looking for outlets after.”
The Cleveland Charge, the Cavaliers’ G League affiliate, made two trades in today’s G League draft (Twitter links). The first deal sent No. 3 pick Sean East II to the South Bay Lakers in a four-team trade in exchange for No. 5 pick Chandler Hutchison and a 2025 G League International Draft pick. The team also shipped No. 22 pick Trae Hannibal to Indiana in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2025 G League Draft (via Rio Grande Valley.)

NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots

October 26th, 2024 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Each of the NBA’s 30 teams is permitted to carry 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals, which works out to a maximum of 540 players across 30 rosters.

Of those 540 potential roster spots, 524 are currently occupied, leaving 16 open roster spots around the NBA. Three of those open roster spots belong to a single team, while 13 other clubs have one opening apiece.

[RELATED: 2024/25 NBA Roster Counts]

Here’s the full breakdown:

Three open standard roster spots

New York Knicks

As we’ve previously discussed in stories about the Knicks, teams can only keep two or more spots on their standard rosters open for up to 14 days at a time, so New York will have to add two players to reach the 14-man minimum by November 5 at the latest.

The Knicks’ roster situation is further complicated by the fact that they don’t have enough room below their hard cap to fit two veteran minimum-salary contracts, meaning at least one of the two players they add to the standard roster will have to be a rookie whom they drafted.

Rookie big man Ariel Hukporti is the frontrunner to receive a promotion from his two-way contract, but it remains unclear who will join him by Nov. 5. Landry Shamet was the favorite to fill the other spot, but won’t be considered until he recovers from his dislocated shoulder. Matt Ryan has been rumored as a potential target, but it might make more sense to have him fill the two-way slot that Hukporti vacates.

One open standard roster spot

Boston Celtics
Cleveland Cavaliers
Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Indiana Pacers
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
New Orleans Pelicans
Philadelphia 76ers
Phoenix Suns
Sacramento Kings

Many of these teams are carrying an open roster spot for luxury tax reasons. The Celtics, Cavaliers, Warriors, Heat, Pelicans, Sixers, and Suns are all over the tax line, while the Pacers, Grizzlies, and Kings don’t have much breathing room below it. Most of those teams will add 15th men eventually, but they’ll be in no rush to do so yet.

The Pistons, meanwhile, still have about $10.2MM in cap room, which could come in handy in an in-season trade. They could add a 15th man if they want to, but they probably won’t do so unless there’s a specific target they really like, since bringing someone else on board would cut into their remaining cap space.

Of all the teams in this group, the Rockets may be the best bet to add a 15th man sooner rather than later, since they’re well above the cap and well below the tax, so there are no concerns related to finances or spending flexibility. Still, they have a deep roster, so there’s no point in filling that roster spot with someone who will just sit on the bench. The Rockets might keep it open unless they get bitten by the injury bug or have their eye on a specific prospect they want to develop.

One open two-way roster spot

Orlando Magic

In past seasons, a team without a G League affiliate of its own might be slow to fill its two-way contract slots, but all 30 NBA clubs now have affiliates in the NBAGL, so there’s no real excuse not to carry a full complement of two-way players.

With training camps set to get underway on Monday for G League teams and the season tipping off on November 8, it wouldn’t surprise me if Orlando fills its lone two-way opening within the next week or two.

Nets Notes: Thomas, Young Players, Wilson, Arena

October 26th, 2024 at 2:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Nets guard Cam Thomas wasn’t one of the 11 players from 2021’s draft class who signed a rookie scale extension prior to Monday’s deadline, but if he can consistently play like he did in the team’s regular season opener on Wednesday, he should have no problem cashing in as a restricted free agent next summer.

As Steve Lichtenstein writes on his Substack, Thomas racked up 36 points despite frequently being defended by Dyson Daniels, but it was his other contributions that were even more encouraging. The 23-year-old, viewed by critics as a one-dimensional player, filled up the box score by also contributing five rebounds, three assists, and three steals in his 34 minutes of action, and earned praise from head coach Jordi Fernandez for both his shooting efficiency and his performance on the other side of the ball.

“It was great, very efficient, shot over 50 percent from the field and from three, five rebounds,” Fernandez said, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required). “And I thought that his physicality defensively was there, too. He worked on both sides of the floor.”

Thomas made just 7-of-17 shots from the field in his second game of the season on Friday, but hit 3-of-5 three-pointers and once again contributed in other ways, grabbing six rebounds and handing out three assists.

Here’s more on the Nets:

Although the Nets traded away Mikal Bridges over the summer, the team didn’t fully tear down its roster, with veterans like Dorian Finney-Smith, Dennis Schröder, and Cameron Johnson remaining in Brooklyn. Still, as Lewis writes in a subscriber-only story for The New York Post, the club is carving out plenty of minutes for its younger players in the early going this season, with Thomas, Nic Claxton, Jalen Wilson, Ziaire Williams, and Noah Clowney all part of the rotation.
While not everyone from the Nets’ current group of youngsters will be part of the team’s long-term core, Wilson recognizes that there’s an opportunity for those players to show they deserve to be in the club’s plans. “Orlando was at a point in time where they were young and they lost a lot of games,” Wilson said, referring to Brooklyn’s Friday opponent. “The same guys came back and they’re just getting better. So you see the process; we’ve just got to buy into it, continue to grind, continue to show up even when days may be tough. And that’s part of the process really.”
Fernandez is giving Wilson, who scored 16 points on Wednesday, a mandate to improve on defense and is confident the 23-year-old will show more on that end of the court. “Every time I challenge him and I tell him, he always responds,” Fernandez said, according to Lewis. “So I know J-Wil will be a very good player on both ends, a two-way player. But that’s what I’m going to demand. If I see one day that he’s not, I’m going to let him go. And that goes for everybody, too.” Wilson doesn’t have a fully guaranteed contract, so he’s still vying to earn a full-season roster spot.
BSE Global, the Nets’ parent company, announced a five-year, $100MM plan to “enhance (the) fan experience” at Barclays Center, which will include upgrading the arena entrances and installing a new state-of-the-art sound system, among other changes.
As we relayed earlier this afternoon, the Long Island Nets agreed to acquire Colin Castleton‘s returning rights from the South Bay Lakers in a deal that sent the No. 5 pick in today’s G League draft to L.A.’s affiliate, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (via Twitter)

2024 NBA G League Draft Results

October 26th, 2024 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League held its draft for the 2024/25 season on Saturday afternoon. Players who signed NBAGL contracts and whose rights weren’t already controlled by a team were part of the draft pool.

It was the first time in G League history that each of the 30 NBA teams had an affiliate squad take part in a draft. A 31st team, the unaffiliated Mexico City Capitanes, also participated.

The Westchester Knicks, New York’s affiliate, held the top two picks in Saturday’s draft and used them to select a pair of NBA veterans.

The No. 1 overall pick was sharpshooter Matt Ryan, who is reportedly drawing interest from the Knicks and is a candidate to be called up to their NBA roster at some point this season.

Drafting Ryan to Westchester won’t prevent another NBA team from poaching him, since holding a player’s G League rights doesn’t mean you control his NBA rights. But it will give the Knicks a chance to take a first-hand look at him before potentially offering him a standard or two-way contract.

Ryan has knocked down 41.1% of his three-point attempts in 63 career NBA games for the Celtics, Lakers, Timberwolves, and Pelicans.

The second player off the board was swingman Landry Shamet, who is recovering from a dislocated shoulder. Selecting him in the G League draft will allow the Knicks to keep him in the organization and closely monitor his rehabilitation process.

Shamet was expected to make the NBA roster prior to the injury and will be a candidate to rejoin the NBA squad later in the season if he fully recovers from his shoulder injury. He was the most experienced player in the NBAGL draft pool, with 348 career regular season outings at the NBA level.

Another notable name was picked fifth overall, as former NBA first-round pick Chandler Hutchison came out of retirement and was drafted by the Long Island Nets. Hutchison, 28, was the No. 22 pick in the 2018 NBA draft and appeared in 103 total games over the next four seasons for Chicago, Washington, and Phoenix.

Although the Nets’ affiliate technically drafted Hutchison, he was traded to the Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers) in a four-team trade that saw No. 3 pick Sean East II sent to the South Bay Lakers and Colin Castleton‘s returning rights acquired by Long Island. The full details of the deal, which also involved the Santa Cruz Warriors, can be found here.

East reportedly agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Lakers back in June, but that signing never became official. It’s not clear why, but after his rights were acquired by South Bay on draft day, the former Missouri guard will head to Los Angeles’ affiliate after all.

Finally, a pair of familiar names were selected late in the second round, with the 53rd and 54th overall picks. The Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets‘ affiliate, nabbed former Knicks guard Allonzo Trier, followed by the Maine Celtics (Boston’s affiliate) drafting Kavion Pippen, the cousin of Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. and nephew of Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen.

Kavion Pippen wasn’t the only family member of a Hall of Famer who came off the board in the second round. The Capital City Go-Go (Wizards) picked former USC forward DJ Rodman, the son of Dennis Rodman, with the 43rd overall pick.

Here are the full 2024 G League draft results:

Round One:

Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Matt Ryan
Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Landry Shamet
Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers): Sean East II
Rip City Remix (Trail Blazers): Thierry Darlan
Long Island Nets (Nets): Chandler Hutchison
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Christian Brown
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Tyson Walker
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Malik Hall
Maine Celtics (Celtics): Eric Gaines
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Tae Williams
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Seth Maxwell (Indiana Wesleyan)
Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Cam Martin
Austin Spurs (Spurs): Ibrahima Diallo
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets): Justin Moore
Raptors 905 (Raptors): Tylor Perry
Indiana Mad Ants (Pacers): Kevin Cross
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Paul Mulcahy
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Brandon Childress
Valley Suns (Suns): Nate Roberts
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Tommy Rutherford
Maine Celtics (Celtics): London Johnson
Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers): Trae Hannibal
South Bay Lakers (Lakers): Marlain Veal
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Bryce Griggs (Overtime Elite)
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Jaylan Gainey
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Justyn Hamilton
San Diego Clippers (Clippers): Garrett Denbow (Anderson University (SC))
Austin Spurs (Spurs): Steven Richardson (Montana State-Billings)
Mexico City Capitanes (N/A): Lewis Duarte (Overtime Elite)
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): No pick
San Diego Clippers (Clippers): Emmanuel Bandoumel

Round Two:

Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Sy Chatman
Austin Spurs (Spurs): Xavier Johnson
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): Vonterius Woolbright
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Keyon Menifield
College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Terrell Burden
Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): Kamani Johnson
Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): Jamal Bieniemy
Austin Spurs (Spurs): Charles Pride
- Note: Pride is being traded to the Raptors 905, per Blake Murphy of Sportsnet (Twitter link).
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Bobby Planutis
Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans): E.J. Montgomery
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): No pick
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): DJ Rodman
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Dee Barnes
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Devine Eke
Rip City Remix (Trail Blazers): Sterling Manley
Austin Spurs (Spurs): No pick
Rip City Remix (Trail Blazers): Olisa Akonobi
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Jericole Hellems
Valley Suns (Suns): Olin Carter III
Osceola Magic (Magic): Cameron Parker
Long Island Nets (Nets): No pick
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets): Allonzo Trier
Maine Celtics (Celtics): Kavion Pippen
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): William Kondrat (D’Youville University)
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): Jayden Hardaway
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Tray Jackson
Indiana Mad Ants (Pacers): Ishmael Lane
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): No pick
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): No pick
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): No pick
San Diego Clippers (Clippers): Mike Scott

Teams will fill out their rosters with affiliate players, returning rights players, tryout players, and players who are assigned to the G League from the NBA roster (including those on two-way contracts).

G League training camps open on Monday, with this year’s NBAGL Tip-Off Tournament getting underway on November 8. The Tip-Off Tournament will be played over about a month-and-a-half and will be followed by the G League regular season, which begins on December 27.